1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a bottle stopper having a simplified structure, and more particularly to the bottle stopper for enhancing sealing effect and increasing reliability at reduced cost.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquor, wine or the like is conventionally contained in glass or ceramic bottle. Before the bottling process, distilled heat liquor has already situated in high inner pressure. In the bottling process, when the traditional plug is typically forced into the neck of a filled bottle, the inner pressure in the filled bottle is essentially greater than atmospheric pressure. Typically, the diameter of plug is apt to slightly greater than the inner circumference of the bottle neck in order to sealably confront each other when the plug is axially inserted into the bottle neck. The plug, therefore, is capable of withstanding substantial inner pressure over long storage periods without deterioration or effect on the contents. During the bottling process, it is hard while the plug is inserted as intended into the bottle neck. In particular, the plug is hard to be remained in the bottle neck by an axially directed inner pressure from within the bottle.
There is a serious problem in the market. Illegal factories fabricate fake liquor or wine by using the used bottles and plugs on which covering a new and intact cap of tinfoil or a plastic material. Accordingly, there is a need of performing the function of indicating whether or not the bottle has previously been opened. Therefore, one of solutions for such function is preventing the plug from illegally reusing.
A number of bottle stoppers or the likes have been provided in the prior art, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,021,259, 2,718,974, 3,430,777, 3,638,821, 5,722,548, 5,732,837, 4,902,270, which are incorporated herein by reference.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,021,259 discloses a bottle closure of the composite expanding stopper type. The bottle closure comprises a hollow rubber stopper, a slidable plunger, and a rib (cooperating means) on the stopper and plunger operating to automatically expand the stopper.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,974 discloses an expansion stopper for sealing the neck of neck of bottle and like container. The bottle closure comprises an outer cup-like expansible body, an upper peripheral flange and a conical plug.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,777 discloses stopper-type plastic cap has means for selectively applying outward radial pressure to engage the interior surface of bottle necks for sealing, resealing and resealing the bottle. An integral annular tear strip locks the cap in a sealed condition by a snap-in undercut groove when the cap is initially applied to the neck by a downward force and requires tearing off for initial release. Compressible means is located on a surface of a radial flange extending across the bottle mouth and coacts with the outward radial pressure applying means to accommodate varying dimensions of the bottle neck.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,821 discloses a closure for a container with an internal undercut in its neck consisting in a flexible main member and rigid auxiliary member. The main member has a top flange which seats on the mouth of the container and a stopper portion in the form of an inner and an outer coaxial wall, separated by a clearance. A bulge is formed on the outer surface of the outer wall, and when the closure is fitted in place engages in the undercut. The auxiliary member has a tubular wall which extends into the clearance, with an external annular projection near its end. When the closure is in place the two annular projections are aligned, and the closure cannot be removed intact. For removal, the auxiliary member is pressed further in to force the projection on its tubular wall to pass the projection on the outer wall of the main member and allow the main member to be deformed and withdrawn.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,548 discloses combination of a bottle stopper and stopper-remover comprising cylindrical stopper means of resilient material, a hollow sleeve, and puller means for insertion into the sleeve.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,837 discloses a closure member for use in closing vials that are subjected to lyophilization conditions where the member is a resilient stopper that has a plug movable within a passageway in the stopper. The plug is movable between a first raised venting position and second downwardly engaging, sealing position whereby fluid from the vial or container is precluded from flowing through the fluid passageway in the cap. The passageway has a venting medium filter covering it which allows passage of water vapor, but not bacteria.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,270 discloses a centrifuge tube assembly comprising a centrifuge tube and an inserter for placement within the neck portion of the centrifuge tube. The insert has a rigid portion and pliable portion.
Applicant PCT application PCT/US00/28866 discloses a bottle plug mainly including a bottle plug member and an elastomer member. The bottle plug member consists of a gas-tight means and a reuse-proof means and further inserts into the elastomer member being assembled as a unit to form the bottle plug. When the bottle plug is inserted into a bottle neck, the gas-tight means provides an expansion portion to seal the bottle neck and the reuse-proof means provides an appearance and the function of indicating whether the bottle neck has previously opened or the bottle plug has been used. However, a need exists for improved the construction of integrated such bottle plug elements and facilitating their operation. Meanwhile, another need exists for a structure of bottle plug that will not involve any mutilation or destruction of its element so that it may be reused or re-sealed.
The present invention intends to provide a bottle stopper including longitudinally positioning ribs and longitudinally guiding grooves structurally engaged therewith in such way to as to mitigate and overcome the above problems.
The primary objective of this invention is to provide a bottle stopper comprising of structurally simplified members in order to reduce operational/assembling steps in manufacture process.
The secondary objective of this invention is to provide a bottle stopper including longitudinally positioning ribs and longitudinally guiding grooves structurally engaged therewith for enhancing sealing effect and increasing reliability at reduced cost.
The present invention is the bottle stopper which includes a body, a plug and a jacket. The body comprises a plurality of legs and longitudinally guiding grooves thereof provided on its inner circumference. The plug comprises a plurality of longitudinally positioning ribs being adapted to engage with the corresponding longitudinally guiding grooves in order to increase reliability of structurally combining. Each leg further comprises a radially inner flange with relation to a common center and provided on its inner circumference. Each longitudinally positioning rib further comprises a groove being adapted to engage with the corresponding inner radically inner flange in order to lock the longitudinally positioning rib within a space defined by the legs. A combined body and plug member is inserted into the jacket to form a bottle stopper. When the radially inner flange is engaged with the groove, the plug cannot be removed from the body. As the plug is axially pressed full-scale into the body and the radially inner flange is then disengaged with the groove, the outer circumference of the jacket may radially expanded to seal or to reseal a bottle neck.